Zara Raza Otho dissertation - Indus Valley School of Art

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Zara Raza Otho
Textile Department
7th Semester
DISSERTATION
Topic: Design intervention in Ajrak
Research Question:The focus of this dissertation is on the craft of ajrak and whether
design intervention has proven to be a successful step towards its preservation or has
ajrak lost its identity after design intervention.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
LIST OF PICTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
1
ABSTRACT
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
3
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
4
CHAPTER 2: Literature Review
8
CHAPTER 3: Research Methodology
19
CHAPTER 4:Findings and Discussions
22
CHAPTER 5: Conclusion
40
Bibliography
44
Appendix
45
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1 Ajrak
6
Figure 2 The ajrak block maker carving the block and teaching his students
24
Figure 3 An ajrak block
25
Figure 4 Outline and Filler blocks of an ajrak print
26
Figure 5Block carved after design intervention by AHAN
27
Figure 6 Block printing the ajrak with wax, one of the initial steps in the
29
process of ajrak making
Figure 7 The artisan sprinkling powdered dung on the area that was printed
29
with wax
Figure 8 After sprinkling the dung
30
Figure 9 An artisan in the workshop printing
30
Figure 10 Artisans working in the workshop
31
Figure 11 Ajrak after its initial steps have been done, its now ready to be
31
taken to its next stage
Figure 12 Ajrak being dipped into madder
32
Figure 13 Ajrak being dipped into indigo
32
Figure 14 Ajrak after design intervention
37
Figure 15 Ajrak after design intervention
38
Figure 16Ajrak after design intervention
38
Figure 17 Ajrak after design intervention
39
Figure 18 Ajrak after design intervention
39
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ABSTRACT
The crafts of any country are a vital part of their culture, heritage and history, thus
preserving the craft is of utmost importance. Ajrak is one such craft; it is one of the
most ancient techniques of block printing. It is a beautiful centuries old craft produced
in Sindh and has been facing a decline. This decline has resulted in artisans changing
occupations and feeling reluctant to teach their younger generations as it was
becoming difficult to earn a livelihood. When this issue was highlighted, the
government and the designers vowed to preserve this art by introducing new
techniques and new ideas. This is where design intervention in ajrak was introduced.
The aim of this dissertation is to find out whether design intervention has proven to be
a means of preserving the craft of ajrak and whether it was the only solution or could
other measures have been taken. This debate will be thoroughly explored in this
dissertation. Books, articles and magazines have been read to get all the information;
clusters, designers and a government organization have been interviewed to give their
input regarding the methods of preservation of this craft.
Along with the craft it is important that the crafts men must also be looked after so
that they do not switch there professions and keep ajrak alive and in supply. This
dissertation will also introduce alternate methods on how to preserve the craft.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Collecting the research and information for this dissertation required a lot help,
assistance and cooperation from different quarters.
Firstly, I would like to thank my mother and sister for their support and their
confidence in me. For going with me to Interior Sindh so I could carry out field
research and helping me in every way possible. Secondly, I would like to thank the
crafts men who were very patient with me and it was very nice of them to take out
time for me and answer my questions, I am indebted to them and especially Allah
Dino and Karim and sons. Their support and cooperation is greatly appreciated.
I would like to thank the Institute of Sindhology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro for
providing me with books and articles from renowned writers. I would like to thank
my friends and my mother for reading over my dissertation and giving me valuable
input, which was of great help.
A heartfelt thanks to my advisor, UzmaBawany for her dedication, time and constant
help in making it possible for me to complete my dissertation. Also thanks to
ArshadFarooqui for giving us his time and advice. In the end I would also like thank
Aysha Dar for her lectures and classes of research methodology, which were of great
help.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
The province of Sindh in Pakistan has been known for its crafts since times
immemorial. The early settlers in the Indus Valley were not only great town-planners,
builders, engineers and masons, they were also expert craftsmen. The tradition of
craftsmanship has survived the passage of centuries and the land prides itself on its
beautiful handicrafts. From historical point of view national identities are considered
with past glories and the earlier periods of Sindh has thousands of evidence of its
prominence that can practically be seen in ruined cities of Indus valley civilization.
The history of ajrak can be traced from the times of ancient civilizations of Indus
valley. These civilizations have been thought to exist around 2500-1500BC. A bust of
the king priest excavated at moenjodaro shows a shawl draped around his shoulder
which is decorated with a trefoil pattern. Interspersed with small circles, the interiors
of which are filled with a red pigment, it is thought that the tree foil pattern survives
as the cloud pattern in the modern ajrak.
The ajrak is an essential part of a Sindhi person. Men use it as a turban, a
cummerbund and worn around the shoulders, it is also used as a tablecloth on which
families sit and eat together. Women use it as a dupatta and a chaddar, as a shawl and
sometimes as a makeshift swing for children, as well as sometimes used as a sheet to
sleep on or cover one self with. The ajrak is about 2.5 to 3 meters usually. “It is
patterned in intense jewel like colors. The dominant colors are a rich crimson and
deep indigo.” 1
Pakistan has always been a craft oriented country; a country whose handicrafts have
always been appreciated and admired by people home and abroad and the craftsmen
1
Sindh jo Ajrak by NoorjehanBilgrami. Printed and bound in Karachi by Rosette and published by
Department of culture and tourism, Government of Sindh, February 1990.
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has always been respected in the society. However, as technology has advanced over
the years, mass production has become an essential part of the process that has taken
over the patient and labor-intensive craftsmanship. Therefore, there has been a
decrease in demand in crafts, which have also lost their importance in society.
Design intervention was introduced by AHAN, a government organisation and
NoorjehanBilgrami in order to revive our lost heritage and to elevate the crafts
people. Design intervention is being practiced in Pakistan since the past decade. There
is a debate going on about whether design intervention is the right step towards
preserving crafts or is a step towards the loss of the crafts identity.
Figure 1.1 Ajrak
This dissertation will be aiming at finding out if design intervention has proven to be
a means of preserving ajrak and whether or not it was the only solution to this
problem. It will find out if design intervention was harmful for this craft or a
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successful step towards its preservation. Also what other steps could have been taken
for preserving this age-old craft.
Chapter 2
Is the chapter that contains the literature review. This chapter contains all the material
that has been written and published.
Chapter 3
This is the research methodology chapter. This chapter comprises of the research
methods chosen by strengths, its weaknesses and me and how I used it to carry out my
research. I have used both quantitative and qualitative methods of research for my
dissertation.
Chapter 4
This is the chapter that includes the findings and discussions. This chapter has the
research on intervention that has been done on ajrak, and is still being done on ajrak.
This includes interviews with crafts men and designers and a discussion on the
question and the findings. Whether or not design intervention on ajrak proved to be
successful.
Chapter 5
This is the last chapter, the conclusion chapter. This chapter ties up the entire
dissertation and provides further points for improvement to further studies on this
topic.
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CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
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LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review talks about ajrak, its history and process, as well as the current
situation of the craft.
Sindh jo Ajrak is a book written on ajrak by NoorjehanBilgrami. 2 This book is ideal
for anyone who wants or needs information on ajrak. The book talks about the
historical background, the blocks and block makers, gives the details on the process
and making of the ajrak. Not only does the book contain everything in good and
precise detail, it has pictures that are beautifully shot and further help explain her
points.
Sindh jo ajrak begins by giving a detailed and to the point historical background. She
starts of as saying that history begins with civilizations such as the Indus Valley
civilisation. Sindh at that time among many geniuses had expert craftsmen in all arts
as well. The tradition of craftsmanship has survived through time and the people of
Sindh are very proud of their beautiful handicrafts. They use to trade them back then
and even then were quite appreciated and spoken off for what they did. The name
ajrak has originally come from the Arabic and Persian language, “Azrak” meaning
blue. This tells us what an old craft it is and it must be made sure that this craft should
always live on, ajrak it must be preserved. Ajrak also represents pride of sindhi man
and depicts as well the love and their of their attachment to the soil of Sindh. It is very
popular among the people in interior Sindh as it is used as a multi functional part of
the apparel and also as a symbol of sindhi nationalism, from birth to marriage, until
death, ajrak celebrates all significant events of the life cycle. This cloth has many
different usages in everyday life. It is worn as a turban, a shawl, spread as a bed-sheet
2
Sindh jo Ajrak by NoorjehanBilgrami. Printed and bound in Karachi by Rosette and published by
Department of culture and tourism, Government of Sindh, February 1990.
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or tablecloth and when worn out, it is recycled as a hammock for a baby, cover for a
bullock cart and most commonly used as a backing to patchwork quilts. Men wear it
around their necks; grooms either wrap it around their shoulders or make it into a
turban. It is also used as a rug on the floor and also to sit and eat on top of it. The
understanding of the importance of the craft will help determine whether design
intervention was the right direction to have gone towards or could other measures and
precautions have been taken.
She also talks about block makers and that very few ajrak block makers are left in
Sindh. They give the reason being that demand is low because ajrak makers since
generations use the exact same blocks and do not like to change things a bit or to
experiment. The intervention in new blocks may open up job opportunities for many
block makers because design intervention will include bringing in new designs thus
new blocks.
The process is again an important part and an extremely lengthy and tedious journey.
It is important to understand this thoroughly because only then can you come to really
appreciate what ajrak really is and how patient the artisans must be. The Teli ajrak
goes through twenty-three processes; however, for each cluster proportions of the
ingredients and duration of time required for a certain stage of the process vary,
according to climatic conditions, maybe the availability of raw materials or the
structure of the fabric. The ajrak has many versions apart from the Teli ajrak. There
are various intricacies involved in the making of the ajrak; its beauty lies in the
process and the hard work that goes behind every single piece made. Understanding
the craft will give a better understanding of the changes brought into the craft during
design intervention and how important it is to not lose the original craft.
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NoorjehanBilgrami in April 1986 attended the LokVirsa annual mela or festival in
Islamabad. Master crafts men from all over Pakistan took part in this mela and
displayed their unique and amazing crafts. The festivals main purpose was to find
solutions for the problems of the artisans who were faced with the threat of extinction,
and ajrak was among those crafts. This tells us that the craft of ajrak was really facing
a problem and something had to be done to preserve it, because it would be a shame if
we lost such a magnificent craft. They had displayed fabric in different stages of
ajrak, which showed the author a new way of looking at the craft of ajrak and showed
her unlimited variations emerging from there. Then she writes, after this she began to
contempororize the tradition of ajrak but with extreme caution that the change should
fall within the craftsmen’s comprehension as well as his concept. She then began
creating variations of ajrak by arresting the process at different stages, which also
brought in a new palette of subtle colors. The above findings tell us that the author
feels that design intervention is an excellent and correct solution that one can offer to
the artisans.
The author got the artisans to open up about the problems they face. Insufficient
water facilities are a major issue for the artisans, so is octroi; local taxes on the article.
Fabric bales are being charged, which are a heavy sum for the artisans to pay. Cooperative depot is another issue they face, along with seasonal demand. Wholesalers
dictate prices and the lack of loan and credit facilities pressurize them to work
according to the wholesalers’ terms and conditions. The high costs of blocks again
creates a problem for the artisans, they are forced to use their existing blocks again
and again which leads to the customers getting bored. The lack of artisans reduces the
work as well; there are no incentives for them to learn the craft. All these issues when
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shed light on again tell us how difficult it is for the artisans to keep the craft alive and
selling, and that further steps need to be taken to resolve these issues.
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher is another great book written on the crafts of
the subcontinent and it also gives a very brief history of the ajrak. 3 It says, “ajraks
preserve the most ancient technique of block printing and are now exclusively crafted
in sindh.” 4 Even though the historical evolution of ajrak is undocumented, it is
believed that the Sindhis knew the ajrak technique at least two thousand years ago.
The four main colors or color combinations being used since back then are red, blue,
black and white. It was found that a similar dyeing technique was used in Egypt
during the second century, this gives support to the fact that there was an exchange of
knowledge between the subcontinent and the Arab world, meaning that a sea route at
that time had been well established for this to have occurred and ajrak was an article
of trade back then. The ajrak technique was very much used in the earliest prints also
exported to China, they fancied it and very much appreciated it as well. Once again
telling us how we should never let ajrak disappear and how lucky we are that it is part
of our culture and heritage. The chapter goes into detail about the techniques of
printing, but more so about the dyeing techniques. It tells us that in “1973 there was a
comprehensive study of the ajrak printers in Sindh. The traditional floral and
geometrical patterns were locally distinct but the general techniques were common to
all these centres.” 5 This also tells us that there was no such difference in the designs
or the layouts of the ajrak in different areas, this may be one of the reasons of decline
in demand. People do not have a variety. However, this also tells us that the method
of producing the ajrak is similar, meaning the craft has not lost its essence and the
technique is still being followed and this will lead to its preservation. The book says
3
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1 edition (July 25, 2006)
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1 edition (July 25, 2006)
5
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1 edition (July 25, 2006)
4
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that “madder and indigo are imported synthetic dyes” 6, this means that the artisans
have to deal with the added responsibility among many other things, of importing the
material as well. Nora Fisher also mentions that the ajrak is “adapted to western
clothes for export” 7 and this is in demand. This tells us that the international market
does have demand far ajrak and there is hope for the craft. Different venues should be
explored and kept in mind the requirements of the market, in order to enhance the
export of the craft.
The article ‘The Story of Cotton’, retrieved 09.06.2008, from the
website www.cotton.org/pubs/cotton counts/story, once again explaining what ajrak
is. 8 This article mentions that excavations elsewhere in the old world around
Mesopotamia have shown similar patterns on various objects similar to the pattern on
the bust of king priest, which was excavated at Moenjadaro. It shows him draped over
one shoulder in a piece of cloth, which resembles an ajrak. Once again showing us
how ancient the craft of ajrak is and must be preserved at any cost.
Colors of the Indus, by NasreenAskari and Rosemary Crill is yet another fantastic
book that has documented all of Pakistan’s crafts, in every province, and so has
dedicated a small chapter to the magnificent craft of ajrak. 9 The authors here have
mentioned that even though historical records of trade of ajrak are sparse, “there is
evidence of medieval trade in similarly printed cotton textiles from the north west of
India to the Mediterranean along side the trade routes of the Indian Ocean. Corpuses
of block printed textiles have been found in the late nineteenth century outside of
Cairo providing us with the earliest examples of textiles from the subcontinent.” 10
They also mention that ajrak making involves the use of mordents and resists dyeing
6
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1 edition (July 25, 2006)
Mud Mirror and Thread by Nora Fisher, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1 edition (July 25, 2006)
8
The Story of Cotton, 9.6.2008. www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story
9Colors of Indus, by NasreenAskari and Rosemary Crill, Merrell publishers January 1997
10
Colors of Indus, by NasreenAskari and Rosemary Crill, Merrell publishers January 1997
7
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areas of fabric selectivity. This tells us the list of raw material is very long when it
comes to producing ajrak. We should pay special attention to the amount of time and
resources put together to create one piece of ajrak. The book mentions a number of
well-known centers along the Indus, among which some are Karachi, Thatta,
Hyderabad, Jerruck, as well as Matiari, Bhit Shah, Tando Mohammad Khan which
are famous for there production of the traditional ajrak. They also mention that the
blocks used for ajrak fall into two categories; the squares and the rectangles. “These
are constructed by intersecting horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines around a fixed
central point. Rectangular blocks tend to have vegetative or undulating motifs such as
the vine and cloud.” 11 Block making is another important yet time consuming step in
the ajrak process. However, once the blocks are made they can be reused frequently,
but it is important to keep a variety and bring in new designs to the market, this will
keep the customers interested and wanting to coming back.
The Craft Traditions of Pakistan is another magnificent book on the crafts of Pakistan,
once again written by the phenomenal NoorjehanBilgrami. 12 This time she has
focused on the many crafts of Pakistan and not just one specific craft. This book is a
delightful journey through Pakistan because of its wonderful content and its magical
photography, which helps enhance the understanding of the content. Once again she
has dedicated a whole chapter to ajrak, titled ‘Ajrak, the soul of Sindh’. This chapter
again talks about the history, process, market and the artisans of ajrak.
Sindhi Ajrak: an ancient art form is an article written by Saima Shah. 13 She once
again has very briefly explained the history and the unique process of ajrak, saying it
is a beautiful art form that must no be lost. However she mentions that the “craft is
declining, profit margins are low since the crafts men are dependent on wholesalers
11
Colors of Indus, by NasreenAskari and Rosemary Crill, Merrell publishers January 1997
The Craft Traditions of Pakistan, NoorjehanBilgrami
13
Sindhi Ajrak: An Ancient Art Form by Saima Shah
12
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who take advantage of the artisans and keep large margins and pay very less for the
ajraks.” 14 Cost of blocks is high thus restricting them from making new designs, and
no credit facilities are available to reduce the problems of the artisans either. This
results in younger generations being reluctant to learn the craft and the original ajrak
is disappearing due to quicker and cheaper methods of copying. This tells us that we
have to make life easier for the artisans so that they do not feel reluctant in producing
ajrak at any cost. We must help them and keep them motivated as well, and make sure
that the younger generations see this as a good opportunity and make them want to
take up the craft of ajrak and keep it going. If this is not done it can eventually lead to
the craft disappearing.
Ajrak: Historical Heritage of Sindh is an article written by AsifRazaMorio. 15 This
article again gives a detailed account of the history of the ajrak. The stages of
preparation of the ajrak, “there are fifteen to twenty five different stages of ajraks
preparation,all that toil is painstaking and ardous art where great adroitness and
expertise trial is needed. During first five stages of ajrak creation the cloth has been
stamped for hundred times in each process. In this way after passing fourteen other
journeys ajrak became matured.” 16 The cloth is then kept in a large frying pan along
with alkalai and is then boiled for a particular time, after which it is dried in the sun
and later washed in just water. After this it is dipped in oil for five to six days and is
also continuously washed in a lemon mixed water. During this the color of the cloth
changes into a mild yellow, after which it is then stamped and later dried in sunlight
again. The locals call this process ‘churrai’. All stages of ajrak are completed within
twenty to twenty five days.
14
Sindhi Ajrak: An Ancient Art Form by Saima Shah
Ajrak: Historical Heritage of Sindh by AsifRazaMorio, Issue/publication: Herald Chronicle
16
Ajrak: Historical Heritage of Sindh by AsifRazaMorio, Issue/publication: Herald Chronicle
15
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The article further talks about the color and materials used in preparation of ajrak,
“Acacia trees gum, dung of camel, sweet wood, flour of rice, alum, soda, oil, indigo,
Alcester, alcazar etc: has been used in its preparations. Naturally hot sunlight and
particular watery places like a pond, lake or tank are important for setting colors,
dyeing and washing.” 17 Again showing us how much preparation and resources go
into the process.
AsifRaza also talks about the present condition of the ajrak industry, saying that, the
major portion has been destroyed. The artisans are looking for alternate occupations,
only a few are fighting to save our common heritage. He says we have ourselves to
blame for this situation. The state and its missionaries have never played a role in
encouraging and saving the craft as such, or introducing them nationally or
internationally. “Encouragement of ajrak making and protection is not found in state
policies, national and cultural affairs or among financers.” 18 The future of the artisans
is not secure and this leads them to leaving the craft and looking for something else to
do. After all they have to support and feed their families. He also blames the poverty
and illetracy of sindhilabour for the demolition because he says the artisan is not
aware of the modern market and does not have the potential to think out of the box
either. Another reason would be technology, which has created easier and faster ways
of producing ajrak, and this harms the artisans very much. The author proposes that
more awareness should be created and the coverage given in all forms of media, loans
should be provided to the artisans so that they may establish themselves. Taxes should
be reduced and this should be made a matter of saving our national heritage by the
government. Artisans should be provided with education and so should the nation
about how important the craft is, to value and support our heritage.
17
18
Ajrak: Historical Heritage of Sindh by AsifRazaMorio, Issue/publication: Herald Chronicle
Ajrak: Historical Heritage of Sindh by AsifRazaMorio, Issue/publication: Herald Chronicle
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Caps, Ajrak boost local business, is an article written by the News, on December 15,
2009. 19 The sindhi cap and ajrak day that was observed in the province of Sindh had
boosted local business of handmade crafts. Thousands purchased the ajrak on that
day; local artisans received a number of orders on that day. Pakistanis settled abroad
also took part in this day, ajraks were exported, and this was a big encouragement for
the artisans as the sales were quite fruitful. This shows that the craft is important for
those of us abroad too.
MumtazMirza wrote an article, Ajrak, in the RozanaBarsat Karachi on 8th of May
1995. 20 He once again talks about the brief history and process of ajrak. However,
mentions that the ancient ajrak pieces that lie in the museums in Sindh, some of those
pieces have elephant and lion imagery on them. The RozanaBarsat Karachi is a
magazine printed in the Sindhi language. This also tells us that ajrak has changed
from what it was before to what it has become now.
Allah Dino Soomro, wrote an article for the Mehran Magazines issue of JulySeptember 1990. 21 The article mentioned that the ajrak is compared to the shawl the
Prophet Muhammad used to wear on his shoulders, also once again emphasizing on
how old the craft is. The article also talks about how the ajrak business does not
function as a large industry but is run in small households. It is a small-scale business
in houses and mostly family oriented; there are no such employee-employer
relationships involved in this business. Again this tells us that people outside certain
families find it difficult to learn this craft, again making it very limited to who knows
the craft and who doesn’t, and also that the ajrak industry still has potential to grow
and become a bigger business.
19
Caps, Ajrak boost local business, The News, 15 December 2009
MumtazMirza, Ajrak, RozanaBarsat Karachi, 8 May 1995
21
Allah Dino Soomro, Mehran Magazine, July September 1990
20
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There has been no material found on what changes design intervention brought to the
craft, whether those changes were positive or negative and if the craft has lost its
identity because of design intervention. This will be the aim of the dissertation.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This dissertation aims at finding out if the craft of ajrak has lost its identity after
design intervention and has become just another block printed cloth or has it been
given a new direction. It will find out if design intervention was harmful for this craft
or a successful step towards its preservation. Also what other steps could have been
taken for preserving this age-old craft.
The research has been qualitative, as it would begin with accumulating all the
material from the sources that could be accessed. Books and articles about ajrak have
been studied. A lot of information about Sindh and ajrak has been documented. Not
much of information about design intervention in ajrak has been documented in
books. However, a lot of substance about ajrak and Sindh is present in the secondary
sources such as reports and articles. The Internet has also been an important source.
Research on design intervention in ajrak has been necessary because it is the question
that has to be answered. This has been done through primary research (qualitative
research). This research is largely based on interviews, as it is the best way to extract
exact information. As such no documentation has been done on design intervention in
ajrak, taking interviews has been the only channel to gather information. One of the
people who have been interviewed isSarah Farooqui, the daughter of
NoorjehanBilgrami. The mother daughter duo runs the design label Koel together.
Her interview has been important, as they began design intervention in ajrak and still
are one of the few who continue to do so. Other craftsmen in interior Sindh who are
doing design intervention in ajrak on a smaller scale have also been interviewed,
along with craftsmen who have not yet been introduced to design intervention as
such.
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Structured and semi-structured questions have been asked. The reason is because
structured questionnaires comprise of limited answers, whereas, this is not the case in
semi-structured questionnaires. Open-ended questions have also been asked so that
the craftsmen give maximum information in their answers, as the interview has been
conducted face to face. The understanding has been better as there was no language
barrier as the questions were asked and understood in Sindhi.
The methodology written above might not be the most accurate and there have been
some limitations. All the artisans who produce ajrak or are carrying out design
intervention could not been interviewed as it would be difficult to interview all the
artisans in interior Sindh because there would be too much time and travel involved
and I am restricted by time.
The biggest advantage in conducting this research is that there has been no language
barrier between the artisans and myself as I am sindhi speaking. This put them at ease
and it is much easier for them to explain and understand in their mother tongue.
This research has been carried out to find out whether design intervention was the
only solution to preserving ajrak and has design intervention itself proven to be a
means of preservation as well.
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CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
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FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
The focus of this dissertation is on the craft of ajrak and whether design intervention
has proven to be a successful step towards its preservation or has ajrak lost its identity
after design intervention. “Sindh is known for its magnificent crafts but ajrak is one of
its oldest, most valued and traditional crafts. It has today through out Pakistan become
a symbol of Sindhi culture.” 22 The people of Sindh have a deep reverence for ajrak.
Men wear it around their necks; grooms either wrap it around their shoulders or make
it into a turban, it is used by women to cover them or in the house for various reasons,
such as, wrapping around oneself at nighttime while sleeping. Also when dignitaries,
national or international come to Sindh the ajrak is given as a gift to them. The ajrak
is a Sindhi mans pride and his attachment to the soil of Sindh. The making of ajrak is
a lengthy, tedious and time-consuming process. Ajrak is a cloth worn by different
income groups, from the wealthy to the poor. The colors, patterns and design format
has remained the same through out, however, the quality of the fabric has changed.
“Knowledge is handed through generations but the craft of ajrak is not recorded but
learnt through experience and an inner intuition.” 23 It is very important to preserve
our crafts, especially those that are centuries old, including the craft of ajrak.
Some of the clusters and designers who work with ajrak and design intervention have
been examined.
22
Sindh jo Ajrak by NoorjehanBilgrami. Printed and bound in Karachi by Rosette and published by
Department of culture and tourism, Government of Sindh, February 1990.
23
Sindh jo Ajrak by NoorjehanBilgrami. Printed and bound in Karachi by Rosette and published by
Department of culture and tourism, Government of Sindh, February 1990.
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Figure 2 The Ajrak block maker carving the block and teaching his students
The first cluster examined was in Bhitshah, Hala, Sindh, which is an hour’s drive
from Hyderabad. It is mainly run by a team of father and son, Allah dino baba and
GhulamNabi, as well as most of the extended family which does all sorts of work.
They say the business and craft of ajrak has been in the family for decades, generation
after generation they have practiced this craft. This cluster does work under a
government organization, AHAN (aikhunaraiknagar), as well as on its own. They
were one of the first to have introduced design intervention in ajrak.
NoorjehanBilgrami had worked with them in the beginning.
As far as they could remember their family had been practicing the craft of ajrak, and
they were quite happy doing it. The amount of the fabric they would produce would
be sold, as the ajrak is used a lot and in many ways by the people of Sindh. However
this does not include the cosmopolitan city of Karachi. Hyderabad is the biggest
OTHO 27
market they would sell to. They tried to come into the Karachi market but it was an
unsuccessful attempt, the people here were not that interested. However, when certain
designers intervened in the printing of ajrak it opened up a whole new market for the
artisans.
The designers taught them how to use the same blocks but make new layouts. They
were taught how to mix and match, change the colors, the quantities of the color used
in one design, the addition of intricate patterns as borders for the shirts and how to
change them up for the duppatta.
Figure 3 An Ajrak block
They only use natural dyes. Their production of the original ajrak is nearly extinct
because the newer designs and fresher look is appealing to the customers, most of
who are from Karachi. The response of the Karachi market has been overwhelming,
big textile mills such as Nishat Linen and Gul Ahmed have also responded to the
market demand and have become their clients. Their sales and production has
OTHO 28
Figure 4 Outline and Filler blocks of an Ajrak print
increased drastically, they now produce hundred and sometimes more pieces in forty
days, more workers from outside the family have also been employed to increase
workforce so that they can meet the demand. The product range has increased as well;
they now do saris, two-piece suits, only shirt pieces, and only duppatas also among
other things. Not only are mills interested but also are certain designers who sell
stitched garments and some women who like to buy in bulk and sell the unstitched
fabric at a higher price to make their profit from home.
When asked how different the process has become or has changed their answer was
not at all. They said that they have always printed ajrak in eighteen steps and print the
new collection in eighteen steps as well. There is no difference in their techniques and
process, any time they want they can print original ajrak, and the workers will not
face any problem. Intervention helped them experiment with many natural dyes, new
layouts and designs but also with fabric. They would use thick cotton before but now
OTHO 29
they use a soft lawn-malmal, which is easier to wear and more comfortable. All these
changes have helped them improve their quality and designs and this will effect there
sales in a positive way. However, they did feel slightly sad at the fact that they do not
produce ajrak the way they use to, being Sindhi they are very much attached to the
craft. Thus, they do produce the original ajrak once in a while. They feel the design
intervention is somewhat a version of ajrak, more like block printing in the process of
ajrak, but it cannot replace the original ajrak. Even though, they never incurred a loss
while producing ajrak the new designs are more in demand and earn the cluster much
more than they ever have. This has also helped them improve their living standards
and has provided more people with employment. Overall, design intervention did
succeed in helping their business flourish.
Figure 5 Block carved after design intervention by AHAN
The second cluster was in Matiari, less than an hour’s drive from Hyderabad. Matiari
is also known for being the production area for ajrak, with many clusters practicing
OTHO 30
the craft of ajrak. Again run by three brothers, known as the Karim brothers. They
produce a lot of sindhi crafts, the ajrak, susi, chunri and woven fabrics in yardages for
women and men’s kurtas. They have been producing ajrak ever since they can
remember; it is also been a family business for them. They have not yet introduced
design intervention in ajrak; they still sell the original ajrak. They have slightly
changed the blocks from the original ones, and do experiment with colors sometimes.
According to them their sales are good and very much satisfactory. Their stock does
manage to get sold and they do keep reproducing every couple of weeks. They do feel
that demand has reduced but not drastically, and the decrease in demand may have
been caused by many other factors, such as the recession, inflation and so on. They
produce ajrak bed covers, table covers, bed sheets, kurtas and single pieces. There are
almost a hundred ajrak producers in Sindh they said, and all are selling their ajraks
because in Sindh a man and his family needs ajrak for some occassion or the other
and would always need. They feel that demand for ajrak will never reduce in the
interior of Sindh but has reduced in the major city, Karachi. According to them
Karachi is a city where people from every corner of the country come, and not
everyone understands the importance of the ajrak like a sindhi man does and this is
the reason for less demand for the ajrak. The Karim brothers have no plans to alter
their production of ajrak, they are satisfied and believe in keeping their crafts alive
and in the market. They have since some time also been producing printed versions of
ajrak, which also do well with customers. Design intervention in ajrak is not yet in
their future plans. They were not sure how they would feel about going in that
direction and were not sure if they should call it ajrak after design intervention or not.
OTHO 31
Figure 6 Block Printing the Ajrak with wax, one of the initial steps in the process of Ajrak making
Figure 7 The artisan sprinkling powdered dung on the area that was printed with wax
OTHO 32
Figure 8 After sprinkling the dung
Figure 9 An artisan in the workshop printing
OTHO 33
Figure 10 Artisans working in the workshop
Figure 11 Ajrak after its initial steps have been done, its now ready to be taken to its next stage
OTHO 34
Figure 12 Ajrak being dipped into madder
Figure 13 Ajrak being dipped into indigo
OTHO 35
NoorjehanBilgrami is a renowned textile designer and also the pioneer for design
intervention in ajrak, at her design house ‘Koel’ is where she began exhibiting these
pieces. She began the design intervention process because she felt that it was a
necessary step, that ajrak was in a declining stage and it was also of great importance
to help the artisans. She is the one who came up with the new blocks, new layouts
using the old and new blocks, new products, better compositions. She introduced new
colors in natural dyes for ajrak as well. She decided ajrak was too important a craft to
be lost and its preservation is a must, as well as increasing the market for artisans who
were not earning enough and were opting to stop working with a craft their long gone
generations had practiced for decades and longer. She taught them how it is a
possibility to reduce the steps in the process and get satisfactory results. Sometimes
certain colors and designs can come out beautifully in a certain amount of steps; this
saves time and resources as well, another advantage for the artisan. In her opinion this
has been a very successful step towards the preservation of ajrak and has provided the
artisans with a larger market and more opportunities. This in return has increased their
income and improved their lifestyle in more than one way, and the artisans teach and
pass on this craft to their future generations with ease.
Her daughter Sarah Farooqui runs ‘Koel’ alongside NoorjehanBilgrami. In her
opinion design intervention was an excellent step towards the preservation of ajrak.
She believes ajrak needed to be translated into something that will be utilized and that
turned out to be design intervention. Design intervention has not led to the craft being
lost but has rather helped revive ajrak in a quite unexpected way. The variety in
colors, designs and blocks is what at present and in the future will further help revive
the craft of ajrak. Sarah believes that if people are made aware of the craft of ajrak
and truly understand it, even a little and know what ajrak is about then ajrak will
OTHO 36
never be lost even with design intervention existing. Koel at present is working with
one cluster, which is located in Bhitshah, this cluster works for ‘Koel’ alone.
According to Sarah, the cluster does very well by fulfilling ‘Koels’ demands alone.
This tells us how well ‘Koel’ is doing in the market. Koel does very well in its sales
of its ajrak products; also according to Sarah Koel is the only one providing natural
dyed ajrak in the shades of yellow, gold, green as well as blue and red. Koel only uses
natural and vegetable dyes. Not only do they have a variety in colors but are creating
and then introducing new blocks as well, this makes their collection original and
different from the other designers and clusters. However, she says they make sure that
the new blocks should follow the characteristics of ajrak and its original blocks. Koel
is now experimenting in fabric as well, very soon the contemporized designs in
natural dyed colors will be available in silk and chiffon. Koel does unstitched fabric,
stitched kurtas, stoles, saris, table cover sets and napkins. She does however believe
that other precautions can be taken apart from design intervention to preserve the craft
of ajrak. Ajrak does quite well in the international market; to further explore that
market might open up new doors for the craft, as well as introducing the craft to our
local markets with a new marketing strategy. One of the reasons she believes design
intervention has done so well is because of all the hype created in the market and if
that card is played smartly and strategically a lot can be done for the craft.
SaminaMandviwala is another textile designer working with design intervention in
ajrak. According to her design intervention is the best thing that could have happened
to ajrak. She feels it was a dying craft and people had gotten bored of it and design
intervention has revived ajrak. In the beginning of her career, around four years ago,
she was selling ajrak in its original form and in the beginning her pieces would sell,
slowly and gradually they slowed down and later became slightly difficult to sell off.
OTHO 37
Then she began using the newer versions of ajrak, she has been ordering in the form
of yardage from the first cluster I visited, Allah Dino. She sells stitched kameezs and
kurtas. Her style is different then other designers, she takes different colors of ajrak
and mixes them together creating visually appealing and beautiful designs that look
original and very smart. According to Samina they sell like hot cakes, one day they
are on the shelf and in the next couple of days they disappear. Women find them very
appealing and she gets many compliments in return on the ajrak. The demand has
drastically increased for her designs and now she is planning to focus more on ajrak
and further work on new designs and products. She has been using the same blocks
the cluster already has but is planning to introduce new blocks herself later.
According to Samina the fabric that is produced for her, only has to go through a
process of twelve to fourteen steps, this reduces the amount of hours the artisans have
to put into one design and it also increases the artisans’ productivity. Samina supports
design intervention in ajrak a one hundred percent.
“Aikhunaraiknagar”, otherwise known, as AHAN is a government based organisation
which is helping the crafts of Pakistan stay alive and helping the artisans by making
sure they can earn a livelihood through there craft. Ahan introduces them to new
markets nationally as well as internationally, and takes extra measures to save a dying
craft and its artisans. Ahan had a major role in reviving ajrak. They were the ones to
introduce design intervention in ajrak together with NoorjehanBilgrami. According to
ShakeelAbro, the regional coordinator Sindh, ajrak was facing a threat and something
had to be done. He says that where design intervention is involved there will always
be a debate. Design intervention seemed like a good opportunity to begin with. It was
always made sure that the essence of ajrak not be lost. Design intervention turned out
to be a successful step towards its preservation. New colors, only natural dyes, new
OTHO 38
layouts and blocks have been introduced. The existing blocks have been taken and
either changed in size or scale, or according to ShakeelAbro new designs for the
blocks are either inspired by chawkandis found around interior Sindh or inspired by
Indian Ajrak motifs. Design intervention in ajrak has created sustainability for the
clusters working with it, and this has motivated the artisans. They have fully trained
three clusters and another five are in process of completing there training. Theses
clusters are now free to work independently and do very well on their own. They
work with brands such as Nishat, Generation and so on. When asked if because of
design intervention will ajrak lose its true identity, his answer was negative. He said
that the original ajrak and the new designs are both given equal weightage. He
emphasized by saying that when an exhibition is put up, the stall with ajrak is divided
into two and both the kinds of ajraks are displayed equally and given the same
importance, and only when this is done will ajrak really be preserved. He says that the
international market very much demands the original ajrak, and Ahan is regularly
exporting both kinds of ajraks and both do extremely well. He believes the
international market is huge and must be further explored because handmade crafts
and especially environment friendly crafts such as the ajrak do have a high demand in
the international market. Design intervention also helped it come into the fashion
market, now mostly stoles and shirt pieces, as well as clutches and hand bags are sold
and more in demand. They have begun producing silk ajraks now and these have a
very good demand in the US market according to ShakeelAbro. However, he does
believe that other steps apart from design intervention should be taken and some are
being taken by Ahan, such as new designs in the same original colors being done on
different fabrics keeping in mind new stylish products for the upbeat market. The
international market is demanding ajrak and this fact needs to be examined to its
OTHO 39
fullest because this can open up new doors for the craft of ajrak. He believes that the
local markets of Pakistan such as Punjab have not been explored to its fullest capacity
and that we might get surprised with the response that might be found there as well.
However there is still a lot to be done and more venues that can be explored.
As long as the original ajrak is not forgotten and stays in demand and is promoted in
a correct way the craft of ajrak will not lose its essence, whether design intervention
takes place or not.
Figure 14 Ajrak after design intervention
OTHO 40
Figure 15 Ajrak after design intervention
Figure 16 Ajrak after design intervention
OTHO 41
Figure 17 Ajrak after design intervention
Figure 18 Ajrak after design intervention
OTHO 42
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
OTHO 43
CONCLUSION
The crafts of Pakistan are a vital part of who we are and what our identity is, as well
as part of our rich cultural heritage. Ajrak is one such craft of Pakistan, which was
facing a threat and was headed to the further side of the decline stage in its life cycle.
The loss of ajrak would be a huge downfall for our history and culture. A beautiful
and ancient craft like ajrak needs to be preserved and made sure that the artisans who
keep this craft alive and whose livelihood depends on this craft must be supported and
helped at any cost. If the artisans are not helped and supported there is a possibility
that they might decide to stop practicing this craft all together and take up a new
profession. They need to feel passing on the craft is a positive and good step because
if they do not pass on the craft it will eventually die out. To make sure this does not
happen in the future, it was decided to take the craft in a new direction all together,
thus design intervention took place.
Where design intervention is concerned it is always a debate on whether that was the
correct direction to go in or could other steps have been taken. When one is
intervening in a craft one needs to realize that the crafts form a livelihood and one
must make sure that in order for the craft to not loose its identity the craft must evolve
in time but make sure to not loose its essence.
The debate will always go on, whether design intervention was really the answer to
the problem, could other measure not have been taken. With my research and the
different people I met and interviewed, I have felt that both sides have valid reasons.
Those in favor of design intervention have witnessed themselves the positive response
from the market. The change in colors and layouts as well as blocks has definitely
attracted a whole new market and an increase in demand has been noticed therefore
OTHO 44
increasing the supply, which in return has increased the work of the artisans, thus
motivating them and encouraging them. This will make the artisans to want to
continue working and pass it on to there younger generations. However it is important
that the ajrak not lose its identity. Ahan mentioned before that the ajrak when printed
on silk or when newer products were launched they had been given quite a positive
response in the market both nationally as well as internationally. This proves that if
marketing is done well the ajrak does have a whole other market locally and
internationally, just waiting to be explored. Design intervention should be looked at as
one of the ways of preserving ajrak and not the only means of preserving it. The craft
needs to be promoted, marketed and presented in a manner that attracts consumers,
and further markets need to be explored because it has been made clear that if done so
new venues will open up. The cluster in Bhitshah that is doing design intervention in
ajrak is doing very well. They are slowly even expanding their business, sales are
excellent and they are earning really well. This has improved their living standards
and has opened up job opportunities’ for many people, due to expansion outsiders are
also being hired, this is teaching more people the craft and the business has potential
of becoming more than a small family business being run at home. This in turn affects
the economy positively as well. However the cluster in Mathiari only does the
original ajrak since the beginning, they have brought in small changes to the layouts
and motifs but not the colors, and they are also doing quite well. They have slowly in
the years increased their product range, thus catering now to more customers who
need a variety. This proves that design intervention is definitely not the only solution
that even by just increasing the variety in products one may gain new customers
resulting in more demand.
OTHO 45
The designers have the responsibility to not exploit the artisans and the craft but to
respect it and make sure no harm is done to the craft and its originality. They need to
help keep the craft alive and think of new ways to launch the craft of ajrak to create
new markets and increase demand.
Design intervention has proven to be a means of preserving ajrak but it is not the only
solution for its preservation, and that has been proven by AHAN. The government
needs to take further responsibility and needs to make sure the crafts do not die. The
government should have awareness campaigns in all forms of media; seminars and
workshops must be conducted to educate people. Loan facilities may be provided to
the artisans so that they may establish themselves. Raw materials should all be
available locally and one price should be set so that no one can exploit another. Stalls
should be exhibited in fairs locally as well as internationally; taxes should be reduced
on the export of ajrak as well.
If these steps and more are taken not only for ajrak but for most of our crafts then no
craft will be threatened, and we as an nation must make sure that our culture and
heritage should not be lost and must be preserved without losing its identity at any
cost.
Bibliography
OTHO 46
Bilgrami, Noorjehan, Sindh jo Ajrak. Printed and bound in Karachi by Rosette and
published by Department of culture and tourism, Government of Sindh, February
1990.
Askari, Nasreen and Crill, Rosemary, Colors of the Indus, Merrell Holberton
November 1997
The News, Caps, Ajrak boost local business, 15 December 2009
Rivers, Victoria, Shining cloth, dress and adornment that glitter,W W Norton & Co
Inc ,April 1, 2003
Fisher, Nora, Mud mirror and thread, Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd; 1st edition, July
25, 2006
Shah, Saima, Sindhi ajrak; an ancient art form
Morio, AsifRaza, Ajrak historical heritage of sindh
Mumtaz, Mirza, Ajrak, RozanaBarsaat, Karachi, 8 may 1995
Soomro, Allah Dino, Mehran Magazine, July- September 1990
www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story
Encyclopedia Britannica
Siddiqui, Iqbal Ahmed, the art of dyeing with vegetable and mineral color, published
by National book Foundation,1976
Cousin, Francoise, sind through the ages
Frater, Judy, Threads of Identity Mapin Publishing Gp Pty Ltd (July 13, 2006)
OTHO 47
APPENDICES
Appendices
OTHO 48
The interview with artisan at the cluster in Bhitshah, Hala
Q. what is your name?
Ans:allahdino
Q. have you received any formal education?
Ans: no
Q. what is your current job status?
Ans: running the ajrak workshop and supervising
Q; Since how long have you been practicing ajrak?
Ans: since I can remember
Q. did you feel it has been facing a decline?
Ans: not really, sales do fluctuate all the time
Q. were you ever reluctant to teach your kids?
Ans:not really, this is our family craft. We pass it generation to generation. Don’t
really know anything else
Q. who first intervened with you?
Ans:NoorjehanBilgrami and AHAN
Q. were you reluctant to bring about these changes?
Ans: not really, there is no harm as such in trying new things and thankfully it worked
out.
Q. you think it was required to change it?
Ans:change is not a bad thing, but ajrak was doing good too
Q. was intervention the only solution?
OTHO 49
Ans: yes and no. maybe more product variations could have taken place or if popular
names could have promoted it like they are now maybe it would have made a change
Q. how have sales changed?
Ans: they have become more than we could ever have imagined, we are very grateful.
We now get big orders from well known people and brands.
Q.on your own was it difficult to come up with new ideas and designs?
Ans: yes, because we are not designers and that is not our job as such. Even though
we were trying we could not come up with designs that we have now thanks to all the
designers.
Q. will Ajrak be lost because of design intervention?
Ans: no I don’t think so. Ajrak is in our blood we wont forget it plus even these new
designs go through the same process and stages original ajrak goes through. So all the
workmen know the process and can produce the ajrak when needed.
Interview with saminaMandviwala
OTHO 50
Q. what is your opinion on design intervention in ajrak?
Ans; my opinion is that I 100% support design intervention. It is the best thing that
could have happened to ajrak. The original ajrak was getting boring, people weren’t
responding to it. It was getting harder to sell. This has given new meaning to ajrak
and a new identity. People are responding to it really well, sales are excellent and
products are getting sold like hot cakes.
Q. you work with clusters, what has changed for them?
Ans: well their sales have gone sky high to what they were. They have started
employing more people from outside their family to meet the demand, they are
increasing their infrastructure, and there living conditions have improved a lot. They
have become more aware of the market conditions as well. They are landing big
orders for well-known names such as Nishat Linen, Gul Ahmed, and Generations.
Looking at these clusters others feel inspired and see a ray of hope as well. This will
help the craft survive.
Q. will ajrak loose its identity?
Ans: no, ajrak has been changing since day one. The ajrak today is no more what it
was centuries ago. It has always changed through time and this is another change in
its journey but a change for its betterment.